Details

Latitude

-4.71979

Longitude

143.6055

Start Date

2018-08-15

End Date

2018-08-15

Koy kukuplakay ‘[they’re] scraping a coconut’ is one of the string figures representing people’s activities. As the Awiakay used to live further upriver, in Marinyam, where the land is even less appropriate for growing coconuts than in Kanjimei (their present village), it is likely that this is a newer string figure, which was either adopted or created after contact, when the Awiakay moved to their present site and coconut scrapers were introduced. Cooking with coconut milk is still not as frequently done as it is, e.g., in the neighbouring Ambonwari, or in other parts of New Guinea where coconuts are plentiful. This string figure is made with the help of a knee. Image: 02: ‘Scraping a coconut’ final figure

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